Ireland's new head coach, Gary Wilson, is "laser-focused" on guiding the team to World Cup qualification, with their five-game ODI series against Afghanistan marking the beginning of their preparations. Ireland, currently 12th in the ODI rankings, faces a challenging path to the 2027 World Cup, with only one guaranteed spot available through a 10-team qualifier next year. A Super Series will decide the final berth.

Wilson aims to inspire his players to achieve significant milestones, drawing parallels to the Irish rugby team's past successes. He emphasizes creating "firsts" for Irish cricket, believing a "huge" World Cup achievement is within reach if the team remains focused. This ambition comes despite a limited schedule of 15 ODIs in three years leading up to the next World Cup, with three matches lost to weather.

The series against Afghanistan, which Cricket Ireland CEO Sarah Keane acknowledged with "moral discomfort" due to the situation in Afghanistan, is Ireland's first ODI series since May 2025. Despite the lack of 50-over cricket, Wilson stresses focusing on the present and attempting to beat Afghanistan. The team, however, recently achieved a historic T20 series win against India, a feat Wilson acknowledges but urges the team not to dwell on, emphasizing the need to start fresh against Afghanistan.